12:23 pm, August 30, 2022
A former Fiat employee could well be the brand’s most loyal car owner – after taking delivery of his 55th at the age of 84.
David Franklin began his lifelong love affair with the brand in 1963, when he bought his first Fiat, which was a red, rear-engine 500D that had forward-opening doors.
Since then, he’s had 54 cars drawn over the years from 32 models.
His latest model is the new special-edition Fiat 500 – coincidentally his and the manufacturer’s first electric model – that raises money for the charity Red, which fights global health emergencies.
It was bought from Thames Motor Group in Slough, which has also handled all his other recent Fiat purchases.
A Thames Motor Group spokesperson told Car Dealer: ‘We have many customers who have owned multiple Fiats over many years, but David seems to hold the record, having owned 55 cars over the years, and we have been delighted to help him find the ideal car in his more recent years of Fiat ownership.
‘We look forward to welcoming him back when the first service is due, and also to help him when the time comes for his next new car.’
David’s close links with Fiat began in 1962, when he joined the marque as a progress chaser at Fiat’s first UK-based concessionaire in Wembley.
Within a year, he had bought his first Fiat – the iconic first-generation Fiat 500D, which set him back £399 (equivalent to £5,800 today).
David, who lives in Gerrards Cross with wife Michela, spent 12 years with the brand, rising through the ranks as a car tester, technical representative and technical office manager.
His career highlight with the brand was as operations manager for the Fiat 130 – the brand’s then flagship saloon, boasting a V6 3,200 cc engine.
During his time with the Italian marque, David was also a race car driver, competing in off-road production car trials across the country.
Between 1963 and 1967, he entered 31 events, placing first 14 times, second nine times and third once.
But he said that above all his achievements and fond memories of racing during his 12 years at Fiat, none stood taller than meeting Michela – the woman who would become his wife.
Born in Milan, she moved to the UK in 1964 and went on to work for Fiat.
The couple were married in September 1966 in the rural village of Bellagio overlooking Lake Como.
A Fiat 2300 estate carried them both, as well as David’s parents, over to Italy from the UK for their wedding day and acted as their wedding car.
David and Michela Franklin inside their new Fiat 500
He went on to work for the family business with his brother in 1974, importing German machine tools, but stayed loyal to Fiat, ensuring that a model from the brand was always in the garage.
‘Fiat never let me down, so I didn’t let them down,’ he said.
He estimates that he’s covered a staggering 600,000 miles behind the wheel of a Fiat.
‘Having driven Fiats consistently for nearly 60 years, it is very hard to say just how many miles both myself and my family have covered in a Fiat.
‘However, up until Covid, myself and Michela would drive to Italy at least once every year, sometimes twice when the kids were younger.
‘That’s before you take into account all the miles I’d have travelled for business and competing in motoring competitions!’
Taking about his experience of owning an electric car, David said: ‘The electric 500 is like all Fiats – great fun to drive.
‘It’s very quiet, handles incredibly well and is very quick off the mark – sometimes my glasses end up on the back seat! I am sold on the idea of electric cars now.’
Of all the Fiats he’s owned, David ranked the Multipla, 850 Coupe and latest 500 as his favourites – the Multipla for its usability, the 850 Coupe for its versatility, and the latest 500 for its fun performance.
